This application is related to Japanese patent applications No. HEI 10-294041 filed on Oct. 15, 1998 whose priority is claimed under 35 USC xc2xa7119, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical information measuring apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus suitably usable, for example, as a particle analyzing apparatus (imaging flow cytometer) having an image capturing function.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional particle analyzing apparatus having an image capturing function includes optical elements for particle detection and image capturing. These optical elements are disposed on a two-dimensional optical fixed board, and their positions are determined in optical alignment. In other words, the position, the directions of optical axes, the height, the parallel degree, and the like of these optical elements with respect to the fixed board are adjusted to ensure accurate alignment of each other.
However, in such a conventional apparatus, a large number of optical elements disposed dispersedly on the two-dimensional optical fixed board increase the size of the apparatus as a whole and provide poor transportability. Also, it is not easy to align the optical elements. The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and provides an optical information measuring apparatus with compact size and good transportability. Also, the present invention facilitates alignment of the optical elements with a higher precision.
The present invention provides an optical information measuring apparatus comprising: a light source section capable of emitting a plurality of light beams; a light guiding section for directing and supplying the plurality of light beams from the light source section to an object; an object lens; a plurality of light receiving sections for respectively receiving the light beams from the object via the object lens; and a frame section for integrally mounting a plurality of optical elements including the light source section, the light guiding section, the object lens, and the light-receiving section. The word xe2x80x9cintegrallyxe2x80x9d as used herein means that the plurality of optical elements are optically aligned and integrated into a single structural member for transportability.